Equimins Ltd Blog | Natural Horse Supplements, Supplies & Products

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Equimins specialises in producing natural horse supplies, products and supplements for the major areas associated with caring for a horse. All products are proudly made in the UK and excellent specification quality products are of paramount importance. Using this blog we want to share some of the knowledge we have gained through nearly 30 years of experience.

We were really thrilled to receive this great tried and tested report from Nikki Goldup from Black and White Eventing. Nikki tested our Winter Leg Scrub Concentrate and Mud Block Lotion on her horses. Nikki is a working mum with three children and owns five horses ranging from her children’s ponies to her event horse, Wanda. Nikki competes at BS, BE, BD competitions and also hunts. Here’s what she had to say…

The Scenario

While we have a lot of grazing the land is predominantly clay and doesn’t drain well. This means the horses all get pretty filthy and water can lie on the paddocks making it wet for them. All the horses currently live outdoors, and are brought in if it is particularly wet so they can get off the fields and dry out. Wanda, my event horse, is clipped including her legs so I can keep her clean and tidy. I had recently noticed that she was starting to get small scabs on her legs, particularly around the fetlock area. I wanted to make sure that these healed and didn’t become infected and become a bigger issue.’

The Results

The first product that I tried was Winter Leg Scrub. This is a simple to apply liquid which you dilute in water, then apply with a sponge to thoroughly clean your horse’s legs. As Wanda and the ponies were totally coated with mud, I decided it was sensible to hose the caked mud off so that we started with relatively clean legs. The wash was easy to prepare and smelt great, a clean and fresh smell that was really pleasant. When I applied the wash, it was easy to see that it cleansed the coat and skin underneath. Wanda has white legs and you could see them becoming cleaner as I applied the scrub. The mud residue was easy to wash away with the product and it was straightforward to clean the scabs on Wanda’s legs. While washing one of the ponies, I discovered a minor cut which again I could clean with confidence, knowing that the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties in the scrub would help to prevent infections occurring. The wash is a non-rinse formula so it is quick to apply and doesn’t need extra rinsing – great if you are a busy person!

Equimins recommends that the scrub is used twice a day in severe cases of mud fever. I decided that it was sensible, in my opinion, to use the wash every other day and after work as part of my cool down routine (when I would be checking legs as a matter of course). I noticed that within a week the scabs on Wanda’s legs were healing well and starting to fall off (before they were very thickened and crusty looking and I wasn’t keen to remove them); there were also no new scabs. Within two weeks (so after about seven applications) the scabs had fallen off and the skin was healing well. When I clipped Wanda at this point I found two scabs which I caught accidentally with the clippers. I used the scrub after this and it was encouraging to know any slightly unhealed areas were cleansed thoroughly.

I found using the Winter Leg Scrub on the ponies a great addition to their care as it meant I could keep an eye on any wounds or the start of mud fever and wash them down with the knowledge any small cuts would be clean and protected.

Overall I found the winter leg scrub to be very effective at keeping legs clean and fresh. It’s a great product for both horses living off the field or those stabled at night. I’d also recommend this product as a post exercise wash or after hunting when horses can often gain small wounds that need to be kept clean. I noticed that Wanda’s legs healed well and the scabs haven’t returned since using the scrub two to three times a week.

In conjunction with the wash I also used another Equimins product called Mud Block Lotion. Essentially this is a creamy white formula that can be applied using a sponge and simply rubbed into the legs. I used this on all the horses and ponies. Because the formula is charged with silver ions it is anti-bacterial, which means it can protect your horse’s legs and any wounds against bacteria found in mud.

The product was really easy to use and apply. It felt slightly waxy but not sticky and was quick to dry.

I found that it helped to prevent some of the mud sticking to the horses’ legs and I noticed that when they were hosed down or brushed the mud was easier to remove. Again I think the use of this product helped support the healing of Wanda’s legs. It’s another protective layer in the battle against mud fever and was useful for the ponies that live outdoors all the time.

I think both these products are a great addition to the prevention of mud fever. I will continue using them and will start to use them next year as soon as it starts to get muddy. They say prevention is better than a cure and I think those who have mild cases of mud fever that is starting to get worse, or want to prevent any issues in the future should consider both products. Obviously with major cases of mud fever it’s important to get veterinary advice, but for everyday use and prevention, both these products do as they say and the active ingredients work well to support healing. I was very impressed and it’s great to have one less winter horse worry! Once again Equimins has proved that they make fantastic products that do their job and are easy to use!